Promoting your cookbook

Promotions
Once your target audience and cookbook price have been determined, the nextstep is making sales. Free promotions should always be the primary focus; in fact, most groups rarely need to spend money for advertising. Free promotions you can easily use include pressreleases, public service announcements, contests, and more.

The pressrelease is the most accepted method of conveying information to the media. Its purpose is to spark interest, so by providing the facts,you are inviting people to discover more about your cookbook and fundraising endeavor. The information to include in a pressrelease is the who, what, when, where, and why of your cookbook. Write your release as a story – not as an advertisement – as the media likes personable human-intereststories.
Be sure to mention your cookbook’s special features and include any photos that may help tell the story. Also, be clear about your cookbook’s price, as well as where and when it will be sold. If you are hosting an event for your cookbook, consider the timing of your pressrelease to make sure it is effective. You can promote your event and raise the level of interest before your cookbooks even arrive.
A pressrelease can be sent to local or regional newspapers, magazines, radio stations, and TV stations. The fastest method is via e-mail; however, try to find a direct contact. Otherwise, your e-mail may be deleted, end up in a spam filter, or simply go unnoticed. Check the media’s web site or call to get a name and e-mail address. Pressreleases can also be sent to area organizations or clubs, as many have a monthly newsletter in which they could include information about your cookbook.
Some magazines, newspapers, and newsletters may have a column devoted to cooking or local fundraising efforts. If you want
to be listed in a column like this,you should include a letter regarding the specific column in which you want your information to appear. If you send a pressrelease to a radio or TV station, be prepared if the station calls to set up an interview. Designate a cookbook spokesperson and request the station send you the list of questions they’ll ask beforehand so that you can be prepared, have calm nerves, and sound confident during the interview.

Source: http://www.morriscookbooks.com/dc/shared/MGuide.pdf


My comment about this:
This text is part of a book, published by Morris Press Cookbooks, that helps the reader to publish their own cookbooks. In this part about promotion it is discussed about the most convenient ways of promoting a cookbook. For example, when approaching a newspaper, this article explains how to do it the best way. Some of the advises that the article gives are also used in our Marketing  communication plan for Purest.
In fact, as I just mentioned, this article is part of a bigger whole, and I actually recommend to look up the source and to read it all. The book really explains it well how to market your cookbook, and it will prove quite useful in the future.